How to Automate Your Phone-based Sales Processes w/ David Hood [Episode 260]

Among the many topics David and I discuss relating to inside sales are the increasing importance of virtual reputations, the evolving role of inside sales teams in full life-cycle sales, the true measure of sales productivity, and key differences between list-based and cue-based calling systems.

Joining me is David Hood, CEO of VanillaSoft, a leading software system that supports phone-based inside sales teams.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

How inside sales is similar to door-to-door sales. Why more end-to-end sales are able to be handled virtually these days.

Why buyers are getting much more comfortable with the idea that they don’t need an in-person relationship with a seller.

How leading companies are establishing the reputation of their presence more virtually.

Why the in-person meeting can become the key differentiator in a competitive sale.

Why establishing confidence on the phone is a very different skill than in-person selling. Finding someone with both is difficult.

David and Andy talk about the true measure of sales productivity.

David flips the interview on Andy and puts him on the hot seat about selling and buying productivity!

What are the levers that you can pull to manage the productivity of a sales team?

David expands on how VanillaSoft helps automate tasks, not salespeople.

Why cadence automation is a place where automation has a huge role to play.

MORE ABOUT DAVID HOOD

What’s your most powerful sales attribute?

Being able to listen to people and understand what their true problem is.

Who is your sales role model?

My old boss, Jim.

What’s one book that every salesperson should read?

Zero-Time Selling!